Editor’s Table: By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

EDITOR'S TABLE.

BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. "A handful of corn shall be sown in the earth, even in the top of the mountains, and the fruit thereof shall shake like the trees of Lebanon: and the children shall flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth." So sang the ancient Psalmist, and they are prophetic words fulfiled in the history of the Latter-day Saints. "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns 01 figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. * * * Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." The Latter-day Saints have been planted by the inspiration of God, "even in the tops of the mountains." What fruit has the tree of their planting borne? Is it not good fruit, in very deed?

Surely, also, the children of the Saints have flourished "out of the city like the grass of the earth;" and as surely they have brought forth good fruit. In temporal, physical, spiritual and moral worth, they are the peers of any children on earth. The people have grown to this condition, mark you, by heeding the counsels and teachings of the authorities of the Church, and the policies which they have advocated. In temporal matters, what do they stand for? For thrift,

honest work, a trusting, living, loving spirituality, and a morality unequalled in any other community elsewhere in the world. They fully believe that honest work is one of the ways that leads to contentment and happiness in this world. They have been taught to work, to conquer the deserts and make them yield to the susten-

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ance of man; to delve in the earth for her riches; to seek for knowledge; and find pleasure in commerce, the professions, and the arts. Their guiding maxim might have been inspired by the Songs oj the Toiler: "Joy to the Toiler! — him that tills The fields with Plenty crowned; Him with the woodman's ax that thrills ' The wilderness profound.

Their leaders, inspired of the Lord, have ever taught them industry and frugality, until these are among their chief characteristics. So taught, aided, and inspired, they have hewn their onward way from poverty to plenty. Through diligence and assi duity, the sage plains have given way to fields and orchards, and the barren hills to bloom. They believe and have demonstrated that a man "Winding up days with toil and nights with sleep Hath the forehand and vantage of a king."

Steam plows, modern threshers, scientific irrigation, modern machinery, have been made to serve them, until happy homes, lovely fields, and factories for man's supply, dot the one-time deserts. This people, so temporally blessed, stand for honest selfgovernment, loyalty to our nation, economy, and integrity, as opposed to the rule of evil men, disloyalty, corruption, wastefulness, and political pollution. Thus have this people grown in temporal affairs, through the counsels and wise leadership of the authorities of the Church. Now, in moral affairs, are they not a pure people? Where a better class or purer than the young men and women of the Church, where they have followed the teachings of the Church? What other community can say, as the Latter-day Saints can truly say, that their sons are as free from vice as their daughters? And both are sweet, and clean, and pure, honest, and full of integrity. They are courageous in truth; they are a people behind principle, standing firm for their convictions, even as a Daniel for his right to worship. Their history verifies this statement. Who will say that a people who crossed the deserts to conquer a wilderness, under the conditions which the Saints did it, are not a people full of moral courage — even the courage of Daniel? The pioneers pos-

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sessed this courage and faith to an unlimited degree, and their children partake of it. They join in deed with their fathers and mothers in singing: Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear. But with joy wend your way. Though hard to you this journey may appear, Grace shall be as your day.

The Saints have always combatted harmful customs, and bad public opinions. They and their children have stood by the truth— the eternal truth. To the sacrifice of popularity, they have dared to stand for the right, for purity of life, for the rearing of families, and the privilege of training their children in the ways of the Lord. In spiritual affairs, no people stand higher, nor nearer to the Almighty and his beloved Son Jesus Christ. Him they worship and adore; not alone in words, but in works, and by striving to keep his commandments, and follow his teachings. They recognize that there is no religion above or greater than the truth; and hence they seek the eternal truth. They love peace and good will. They believe in and practice love, meekness, humility; and they confess a living faith in Jesus Christ and in his mission and sacrifice, his resurrection, and passage to gl )ry with the Father, and in life eternal. These are some of the fruits of the teachings, counsels, and lives of the Latter day Saints and their leaders. As to proof of the temporal. I need only refer to the conditions, the flourishing towns, and happy homes around us. They speak for themselves. As to the moral, the young men and the young women of our community, virtuous, pure, intelligent, honest, full of integrity and achievement, may themselves reply. As to the spiritual, point us to a people who live nearer to the teachings of our Savior, who revere him more, and who keep his commandments with more enthusiasm, or who are more in harmony with the Divine. How, then, can the system, or the leaders thereof, be counted evil? Their fruits have proved to be good, and "by their fruits ye shall know them." At no time have the leaders cf this people counseled evil; and it is true that where individuals have heeded the counsels of the

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elders of the Church, such persons have in the end succeeded best, and have recognized the wisdom and justice of their counsels. The contrary course has universally ended in failure, often in spiritual death, and moral degeneration; while the fruits of obedience to their counsels are prosperity, spiritual life, moral purity, advancement, contentment, and joy. Now these are facts. These have been the fruits of "Mormonism," and the results of following the counsels of the Church authorities. Why, then, should any young man, or old either, when malicious falsehood is hurled recklessly at the devoted leaders, doubt their integrity, or disregard their advice. Has not history proved the servants of the Lord to be honest, just, secure in the right? and their counsels safe guides to the way, ending in ultimate blessing? Just now there is a tendency among some of the thoughtless young men to join in or sympathize with the fight against the Church authorities, waged by the assassins of virtue, the supporters of vice, and riot, and wine and lewd women, gambling, robbery and general corruption. It is a senseless tendency, and they who follow it will do so to their own destruction. At the present time we are about to make choice of some political leaders. It is scarcely necessary to say that a man who

has the interest of himself and his people at heart, will choose

his friends. Who are our friends? Men who have kept informed on the trend of affairs in the nation, for the past two years or

more, may easily surmise. To vote any other way would be ungracious, against our own best interests, and would show a spirit of ungratefulness such as this people do not naturally possess. "Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Joseph F. Smith.